Can packer



Feb. 24,. 1931. R DOUGLASSI 1,793,595

CAN PACKER Filed Dec. 15, 1928 I 9 Sheefs-Sheei l Feb. 24, 1931.

R. DOUGLASS CAN PACKER Filed Dec. 15, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 w m m Feb. 24, 1931. R. DOUGLASS 7 1,793,595

' I CAN PACKER Filed Dec. 15, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet z Feb 24, 1931. R. DouGLAss CAN PAGKER Filed Dec. 15, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 R. DOUGLASS vCAN PACKER Filed Dec.

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9 Sheets -Sheet 6 R. DOUGLASS CAN PACKER Filed Dec. l5,-1928 Feb. 24, 1931.

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Feb. 24, 1931.

R. DOUGLASS CAN PACKER 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Dec. 15, 1928 Patented Feb. 24, 1931 ROYAL powerless, or soon; BELLING-HAM, wasnmemon CAN PAGKER Application filed December 15, 1928. Serial No. 826,268.

This invention relates to means for packing sealed and labeled cans in boxes and its primary object is to reduce labor and cost and expedite the work. The invention provides mechanism whereby the cans may pass by gravity into atrotatable hopper until the number required to fill a case have been received, the hopper then rotated to set. the cans on end, and the cans then lifted from the hopper and carried'to. and deposited in a case. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consis's in 'cer: tain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully described and then particularly defined in the appended claims.

. In the drawings, Figure 1 1s a sideview of .a machine embodying the invention; A Figure 2 is a rear end elevation;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section; Figure 4: is a horizontal section in the plane of the axis of the rotatable hopper;

Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections; Figure 7 is a detail elevation of a portion of the suction mechanism;

Figure 8 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section;

Figure 9 is a detail horizontal section showing part of the rocking hopper structure;

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail section of a part of the rocking hopper;

Figures 11 to 18 inclusive are details of the rocking hopper parts;

Figure 19 is a section of the line 1919 of Fig. 6; v

Figures 20 and 21 are details of cams on the rear hopper;

Figures 22 and 23 are details;

Figures 24 to 29 incli'sive show details of the can stops;

Figure 30 is a detail of a suspension hook;

Figures 31 and 32 are detail plans of the parts of the suction head; A

Figure 33 is a section through the suction head;

Figure 34: detail.

The machine embodying the present inshows the upper track rails in vention is preferably portable in order that it may be shifted from place to place as the exigencies of operation may require, for WhlCh purpose there is provided a truck com prising a bed plate 1 and a supporting frame 2 mounting the bed plate at its front end up-' on a fifth-wheel 3 and at its reanend upon an axle 4, the latter fitted with wheels 5 and the former carrying wheels 6 and having a draft pole 7 attached thereto whereby the truck may be hauled and steered. It may be observed that the frame 2 is of such form that the front end of the bed plate is at a higher elevation than the rear end thereof. At intervals along one side edge of the bed plate are secured brackets 8 which are disposed transversely of the bed plate and each of which has a foot member 9-riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the under side of the plate, a vertical member or leg 10 rising past the edge of the base plate, a; top member or bridge 11 extending inwardly from the uppending plate. Supported by these brackets and secured rigidly upon the bridging portions thereof are longitudinal angle bar rails 13 which constitute a trackiand guide for the case as the latter passes to the position in which it receives the cans. Secured to the under side of the rails are bearing boxes 15 in which are mounted rolls 16 extending between the rails and of such diameter that the high points of their circumferenceswill occupy a plane above the horizontal webs of the rails to support a case out of actual contact with the rails and facilitate its travel to the working position. It will beunderstood that the rolls are provided in such number and in such relation that there will always be at least two rolls under a case to support it against rocking, and that the cases are successively placed on the front end of thetrack and gravitate to the rear end thereof.

from the bridge to rest on the bed To arrest the travel of the case when it I end of the stop pin is pivoted to a crank arm 19 projecting rearwardly from a rock shaft 20 which is journaled in bearings provided lever will withdraw the stop pin, whereupon the filled case will pass by gravity from the track. When the case is over the stop pin, it will hold the pin depressed and the lever may be released so that the instant thecase clears the in the latter will be projected upwardly by t e spring 21 to stop the travel of a succeeding case. I v T Secured to the base plate and rising therefrom along the'edge remote from the brackets 8 and also immediately adjacent the inner track rail 13 are standards 23, the inner track rail being rigidly-secured to the adjacent in termediate and rear standards. Between the foremost standards a hopper 24 is disposed, and this hopper is rigidly supported by brackets 25 disposed between and secured 'to the bed plate 1 and the bottom of the hopper.

It will be noted at once that the bottom of the hopper, in its forward portions is inclined sharply downwardly and rearwardly so that cans placed therein on their sides will at once roll to the rear open end of the hopper. Within the hopper are vertically spaced shelvesor'tracks26 cons ituting runs forthe cans, the entrances 200 being so arranged that the cans will pass onto the lowest run until it is filled and will then pass onto the next higher run and so successively fill all the'runs. Extending from the hopper are a series of '1 vertically spaced tracks or runs 27'whichincline downwardly and rearwardly and through which the cans roll'to the rear rotatable hopper. These runs each comprise abottom or track plate 28 and side rails 29 rigidly secured on said plates along the-ed es of the same, the inner faces of the rails eing slightly dished, as indicated at 30, to reduce frictional contact with the ends of the cans. The corners of the plates are notched to abut the rear sides of supporting bars 32 and pass through notches in the flanges 34 ofsaid. barsto be supported. The forward bars 32 are secured rigidly to the sidesof the hopper 24 while 60 the rear bars are erected upon the bed plate. 1 immediately in advance of the rear hopper.

To control the travel of the cans, stops are provided at the rear end of the front hopper and at the rear ends of the runs. A rock 5 shaft 35 is journaled in suitable bearings on the brackets 25 beneath the front hopper, this shaft being provided at its center wi-.h a crank 36 which depends therefrom and normally projects slightly "rearwardly. To this crank is pivoted the front end of a connectih bar 37 which rests slidably on the bed plate 1 and isheld there'lo by headed fasteners inserted through longitudinal slots 38' in the bar, the movement of the bar being thereby limited andheld to a rectilinear path. V

To the rear end of the bar is secured a cross bar 39 to which is secured a rearwardly projecting yoke..40, and on the upper side of this yoke, at its center, is mounted a roller 41 against which a cam 76 on the rear hopper may impinge to. drive the same and the connected parts rearward, a contractile spring 42 attached to the bar 37' and to the bed plate holding the parts normally drawn forward. To the ends of the shaft 35 are secured cranks 43 which extend rearwardly and slightly upwardly at the sides of the bracket 25 and have their rear ends pivoted to the lower ends of the extractor bars 44 which are mounted to slide in-vertical guides on the sides ofthe hopper 24. Theseguides consist each of a main bar 45 having a .T-shaped cross section with a flange 46 projecting from the stem 47 of the'T parallel with the head thereof, and an angle bar 48 secured to said flange 47 so as to form, with the same and the T- head, a box enclosing the extractor barand open at top and bottom. In that sideof' the bar 48 which is presented to the bar 45 and the extractor bar are horizontal grooves 49 which correspond in number and location to the can runs, and'in the opposed surface of the extractor bar are correspondingly located inclined grooves 50. Stop pins 51- are slidably mounted in the grooves 49 and on the pins are lugs 52 slidably fitting in the grooves 50, the result of the arrangement beingthat the vertical reciprocation of the extractor bars causes horizontal movement of thestop pins to project them into the paths of the cans or retract them-therefrom, The cans are fed into the front hopper 24 from the labeling machine and are arrested by the v stop pins until all the runs are filled whereupon the release of the cans and their subsequent stoppage is controlled by the rear hopper which automatically operates, the stops.

The rear stops, indicated as an entirety by the numeral 53, are essentially the same as the front stops just described but the extractor bars are connected at their upper ends by a cross bar 54 at the center of which is a roller 55 arranged to be engaged by a cam "projection 540 on the rear hopper.

The rear hopper comprises front and rear heads and a can receptacle extending between and carried by said heads. The rear head 56 is a circular disk orplate having,-in its front face, a groove 57 parallel with and at one side of a diameter of the plate, and

branch grooves 58 leading from said groove 57 at right angles thereto. The front head comprises a front circular plate orring 59 having a circular recess 6O in its rear side, and a rear circular plate or disk 61 having a circular projection 62 on its front side to fit closely but rotatably within the recess 60, and

at the center of each plate is an oblong opening 63 which forms an inlet for the cans.

Attaching brackets or feet 64 are secured to the disk 59 and to the bed plate 1 whereby the front end of the hopper is supported, the inlet opening 63 in said disk having its longer diameter extending vertically. To the rear head 56 is secured a trunnion or st'ub shaft 65 which is j ournaled in and extends through a bearingbracket 66 secured upon the bed plate 1 at or near the rear end thereof,'and at the rear of said bracket a sprocket 67 is secured upon the, trunnion while at the extremity of the same is secured a handle or operating lever 68. The disk 61 has grooves 69 around three sides of the opening 63 which correspond to the groove 57 and the end grooves 58 in the disk or head 56, and a'plate 7 O is fitted at its edges in the respective grooves 57 and 69 while plates 71 are engaged J in the grooves 58 and alined notches provided therefor in the front head.

The plates 71 are provided with lugs 72 to engage in notches 73in the end edges of the plate 70, and angle brackets may be secured to the plate and the side plates 71 to impart rigidity to the structure, tie rods 75 being threaded in and extending between the disks 56 and 61 for a like purpose and to maintain the relation between the disks to support the plates 7 O and 71. The opening 63 in the front disk 59 is alined with the runways 27 so that cans on the runways may pass through said opening unless the rear stops above described are projected, and when the cans are to pass the rear opening 63 is also vertically disposed, at which time the plates 71 form, in effect, continuations of the runways 27. If the filled hopper be given a qilarter turn, the cans will be held in rows by the plates 71 and Will be supported on end by the plate 70. A cam block 76 is secured to the disk 61 and projects therefrom to engage the roller 41 and operate the front stop pins as indicated in Fig. 9. -When the hopper is swung from receiving to delivering position,

the cam'block 76 impings upon the roller 41 a bearing bracket 66 and arrest the rocking of the hopper at the proper instant.

Over the rear hopper, transverse track bars 78 are secured to the opposed sides of the rear and intermediate standards 23 to carry rails 79, and the front bar 78 has bearing posts or brackets 80,81, erected thereon at its ends, and at one end of the rear bar 78 is secured a bracket 82 corresponding to the bracket 81. A shaft 83 is journaled in the bearings 81, .82, and has a sprocket 84 at its rear end, a chain 85 being trained about said sprocket and the sprocket 67. Near the front end'of the shaft 83 a sprocket 86 is secured thereon, and a similar sprocket 87 is secured upon a stub shaft journaled in the bracket 80, a chain 88 being trained about thesprockets 86 and 87 as shown. A draw-bar bracket or post 89 (see Fig. 2) is rigidly secured upon a carriage plate 90 and is also se-'- cured to the chain 88 whereby-theftravel of the chain will be effective to shift the carriage in unison with the rocking of the rear hopper. To the under side of the carriage plate, adjacent the eorners'thereof, are secured legs 91 carrying rollers 92 which run on the trac s 79 and support the carriage, the

corners of the, carriage plate being recessed,

as" at 93, to accommodate the rollers. Secured upon the upper side of the carriage plate ,in rectangular relation are cup flanges 9{i-into which are, threaded the lower ends of guide tubes 95 through which are .slidably fitted guide rods 96 which extend through the carriage plate and have their lower ends secured to the transfer plate 97, the upper ends of the rods being connected by braces 98.

The transfer plate or suction head comprises a lower rectangular member 99 having openings 100 therethrough andan upper member 101 having a plurality ofintersecting grooves 102 inits under side, the points of intersection, when the parts are assembled, being axially alined. with the respective 0 enings 100, andcarrie'd on the underside o the transfer plate are suction cups 103, each in direct communication with one of the openings 100. The described construction and j arrangement provides a vacuum' chamber n leading to each suction cup, and it is to be understood that the suction cups correspond in number and arrangement to the cans which are to be cased, usually four rows of six cans each. At any preferred point on the top of the transfer plate, in communication with a.

groove 102 is a nipple 104 which is connected.

through a hose 105 with a controlling valve 106, said valve being also connected through ahose 107 with ,a vacuum tank 108 carried on the underside of the bed plate 1 of the truck. Carried by standards 23 and projecting forward above the stationary hopper are beams 109 carrying asuction pump 110 and its motor v 111, the pump being 112 with thevacuum tank.- n

Secured upon the carriage plate 90 and positioned centrally over the transfer plate 97 is a cylinder 113 within which is atight-fitting piston 114, a connecting rod 115 being attached to the piston and depending therefrom through a central opening 116 in the carriage plate 90. The lower end of the rod 115 is firmly connected to the transfer plate, preferably by being threaded into a socket 117 secured on the plate, it being seen that the transfer plate is carried by'-'the connecting rod. The upper end of the cylinder is closed by a head 118 having a central opening 119 in which is fitted an elbow 120, a hose 121 leading from the elbow to a valve 122 of the same construction as the valve 106 and also connected to the hose 107i The suction cups 103 each comprise a tubular body123 having an internally threaded opening at each end. A tubular plug or nip le 124 is threaded at its upper end into one of the openings 100 of the transfer plate and depends therefrom through a ring nut or collar 125 whereby the cup body 123 is suspended from the transfer plate, the plug having an annular sustaining flange 126 at its lower end to engage under the lower end of the nut and support the same in an obvious manner. A tubular screw 127 is fitted in the lower end of the cup body 123 and has a spreading conical head 128 at its lower end to support the flexible washer 129- and secure the central portion of the same in the widely flaring seat or recess 130 in the lower end of the body, the entire edge of the washer or cap being free to rest on and conform to the can top and enable a high vacuum to be formed,

To inaintain the'transfer plate in raised position so'that the carriage may be moved ,back and forth when the vacuum is broken, a suspension hook 131 is provided. This hook has a long shank which is passed upwardly throughan opening in the carriage plate and through a boss 132 thereon, the boss having a diametrical notch 133 in its upper edge to be engaged by a lug'134 on the lower end of a nut or handle 135 which is secured on the upper end of the shank. Normally, the beak of the hook is turned out of the path of the transfer plate'and it will be held-in that position by the engagement of the flatsided lug 134 in the flat-sided notch 133. When the'hook is to be operative, the handle 135 is grasped and lifted to clear the notch.

133, the hook, of course, following the movement, The handle and the hook are then given half a turn so that the beak of the hook a will be engaged under the transfer plate whereupon the lug and notch are reengagedf Below the plane of horizontal travel of the suction cups, a plurality of rollers 136, arranged in rectangular relation, are supported connected through a-hose v on the side of the main frame to guide the cans as they aredelivered into the case.

In the operation of the machine, the cans are fed into the front hopper until there are at least six cans in each row, the rear hopper having both inlet openings extending vertically'at this time. The lever 68 is then rocked to turn the rear hopper ninety degrees which automatically opens the front stops and permits the cans to roll down the can runs to the rear stops which are now closed. The rear hopper is then rocked back to its initial position causing the front stops to close and the rear stops to open, whereupon cans will roll into the hopper and rest npon the plates 71. an

The hopper is then again rocked, as at first, and the cans will be caused to rest on end upon the plate 70, the carriage being now directly over the hopper. The valve 122 is now set to piston and the cans. The hopper is then again rocked into vertical position to receive another load of cans, the carriage being simultaneously moved to a position over the slowly break the vacuum in the upper end vacuum creating suction which will lift the In case 14, whereupon the valves are manipulated'to lower the-cans into the case, release the cans and then raise the transfer plate. The transfer plate is then returned, to the position over the hopper, the hopper being simultaneously rocked to set the cans on end we and the cycle of operations is repeated as long as there arecans ready to be cased.

. Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is 1. The combination of a pivotally mounted hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper in a plurality of rows arranged one row above another, means for rockingthe hopper to set the cans on end, and means for u removing all the cans simultaneously from the hopper and delivering them into a case. '2. The combination of a hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper in a plurality of vertically arranged rows, means 11 for turning the hopper to set the cans on end, means for-sup orting a case at one side of the hopper, and means for simultaneously transferrlng all the cans from the hopper to the case while maintainingthe relative positions of the rows of cans and the cans in the rows.'

3. The combination of a hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper, means for turning the hopper to set the cans on end,

and means remote from the hopper and actuated by the turning of the hopper to con trol the travelof cans thereto.

4. The combination of a hopper, runways leading into the hopper, means for turning the hopper to set on end cans received from means for turning the the runways, and means in the sides of thfi runways at points remote from the hopper eontrolled by regulate the travel of cans on the runways.

5. The combination of a hopper, runways leading into the hopper, means for turning the hopper to set on end cans received from the runways, stops arranged at the sides of the runways, and means actuated by the turning of the hopper 'to project and retract the stops. k

6. The combination of a stationary hopper, a pivoted hopper, runways between the hoppers to deliver cans from the stationary hoper to the pivoted hopper, stops arranged atthe ends of the runways to control the travel of cans thereover, means for turning the pivoted hopper to set cans therein on end; and means controlled by the turning of-the hopper to set the stops in alternation.

7 The combination of a hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper, means for turning the hop er to set the cans therein on end, a trans er plate, means on'the transfer plate to pick upthe cans, and means for moving the transfer plate in unison with the turning to a point of delivery beyond the hopper.

8. The combination of a pivoted hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper, means for turning the-hopper to set the cans on end .a carriage above the hopper, means for eifecting travel of the carria e to and fro in unison with the turning 0% the hopper, and means on the carriage to lift cans from the hopper and deliver them at a point removed from the hopper.

p 9, The combination of a pivoted hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper,

on end, a carriage above the hopper, means for effecting travel of the carriage to and fro in unison with the turning of the hopper, means on the carriage to lift cans from the hopper and deliver them at a point from the hopper, and means for guiding the downward delivery movement of said means.

10. The combination ofa pivoted hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper, means for turning the hopper to set the cans on end, a carriage above the hopper, a trans- .fer plate below the carriage, means on the carriage to raise and lowerthe transfer plate, and suction cups on the transfer plate to engage the cans. Y

11. The combination of a pivoted hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper,

means to turn the hopper to ,set the canson end, a carriage above the hopper, a suction cylinder on'the carriage, a piston in said cylinder, a transfer plate carried by said piston, and means on said plate to-engage the cans.

' f 12. The combination'of a pivoted hopper,

means whereby cans may roll'mtothe hopper,

the turning of the hopper toand valves on the of the hopper to carry the cans the plate, and means for eflecting travel of hopper to set the cans removed means to turn the hopper to set the cans on end, a carriage above the hopper, a suction cylinder on the carriage, a piston in said cylinder, a transfer plate carried by said piston, and suction cups on said plate to engage the "cans.

13. The combination of a pivoted hopper, means whereby cans may roll into the hopper, means to turn the hopper to set the cans on end, a carriage abovethe hopper, a suction cylinder on the carriage, a piston in said cylinder, a transfer plate carrled by said piston,

suction cups on said'plate to engage the cans,

suction in the cylinder and the cups.

14. The combination of a pivoted hopper, means whereby cans may foll into thehopper, means for turning the hopper to set the cans on end, a suction plate including an upper member having intersectin channels in its lower side and a lower mem er having openings therethrough communicating with said channels,

the plate to and fro.

15.'A hopper for the purpose described suction cupssecured in the openings inthe lower member to engage cans in the hopcarriage controlling the 7 comprising front and rear heads, the front head. having an oblon inlet opening therethrough, a plate eziten 'ng between the heads and supported thereby in substantial alinement with one side of the inlet opening, and other plates abuttin the first plate and arranged parallel wit the ends of the inlet OPGIHIIL, j v v 16. The combination of a fixed support, a hopper mounted therein to rock about a horizontal axis and annularly spaced stops on one head of the hopper to site sides of the su port and limit the turning movement of the opper in either direction.

17. The combination of a hopper, a carriage mounted to travel to and fro above the hopa transfer plate suspended from the car- 18. The combination of a rotatable hopper,

runways down which cans may roll into the hopper, stop pins slidably mounted in the sides of the runways, and means operated by the hopper as the latter turns'whereby the stop pins will-be projected into or retracted from the runways. I

19. The combination of a rotatable hopper, runways down which cans may roll into the hopper,-posts at the sides of the runways, stop pins slidably mounted in the posts and having lateral studs, vertically movable bars having obliquely disposed grooves in their sides engaging the studs, and means operated by thehopper as the latter turns tq vertically reciprocate the bars and thereby project the pins into or retract them from the runways.

20. The combination of a rotatable hopper, runways down which thecans may roll into the hopper, stop pins mounted at the sides of the runways to extend thereinto, vertically reciprocable bars mounted on the sides of the hopper and operatively connected with the stop pins to project or retract the same, a

rock shaft mounted below the runways,

cranks at the ends of said shaft connected to the lower ends of the bars, a slide having its front end operatively connected with said rock shaft and its rear end disposed adjacent the hopper, yieldable means for holding the slide in its rear position, and a projection on the hopper to engage the rear end of the slide and move the same forward.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

ROYAL DOUGLASS. 

